Pencil



Mar. 3, 1925.

J. A. NYMAN ET Al.

PENCIL WHA/5885s ATTORNEYS J. A. NYMAN ET AL Mar. 3, 925.

PENCIL Filed March s, 1925 s sheets-sheet 2 W/VYMA M 6 A TTUR/VEYS J. A. NYMAN ET AL Mar. 3. 1925.

PENCJL 3 sheets-smet s Filed March 5, 1923 IN1/ENIGH 4 TTOHNE YS Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE.

TOEN ARTHUR NYMAN AND FRANK ROBERT NYMAN, OF ABERDEEN, WASHINGTON.

PENCIL.

Application led March 3,

T o all fwhom t may concer/n:

Be it known that we, J oHNjARTHUR NY- MAN and FRANK ROBERT NYMAN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Aberdeen, in the county of Grays Harbor and State of .lVashingtom have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to pencils, and more particularly to an improvement in pencilsof the type wherein a plurality of leads are contained within the pencil and are adapted to be successively brought into use, the pencil being'particularly, although not necessarily, adapted for use as a multi-colored pencil.

The object of the invention is to provide a pencil of this character in which any one of the leads may be at any time brought into operative position by a simple controlling or manipulating movement on part of the user, the pencil being at the same time of simple and durableconstruction, Well balanced and attractive in appearance and capable of ready manipulation for the purpose of renewing worn or broken leads.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings Figure 2 is a view in elevation of theelny bodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Fi ure 5 is a view in longitudinal section, showing a slightly modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a similar view of a still further modifiedlform;

Figure 7 is a view in top plan of the form shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a view thereof in transverse section on line 8--8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a similar view on line 9--9 of Figure 6; and

Figure 10 is a view in longitudinal sec- 1923. serial No.' 622,569.

tion, showing another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 11 is a view in elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a plan View thereof,

Figure 13 is a view in section on the line 13-13 of Figure 11,

Figure 14 is a view in section on the line 14-14 of Fig. 10, and

Figure 15 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of modified form of lead holder.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive the numeral 10 designates generally the casing of the pencil which in this form includes sections 11 and 12, the section 12 being threaded into one end of the section 11, as at 18. The other end of the section 11 constitutes the tip of the pencil and is tapered, as at 14, the tapered portion terminating in an opening 15 at the tip of the pencil through which the leads are adapted to be projected as will hereinafter more fully appear. By providing the tapered portion 14 the inner walls of the pencil casing adjacent the tip end thereof converge toward the opening 14 and these converging walls provided by the tapered end constitute guide means as will be presently understood. The end of the section 12 opposite its connection to the section 11 has threaded thereon acap 16. Within the casing and preferably within thev section 11 thereof a plurality of lead holders, preferably four, designated at 17 are provided, each lead holder serving to carry a crayon or lead designated at 18, these crayons being of different colors or otherwise differing in their properties according to the use with which the pencil is put. An operating rod 19 is provided for each lead holder 17 and each operating rod is loosely connected to its lead holder by a ball and socket joint 20. In the construction shown the ball 20 is formed on one end of the rod 19 and the'socket is formed in the resilient members 20b provided on the pencil holder. The section 12 of the pencil casing is provided with four longitudinal slots 22 there being one such slot for each operating rod 19, and through each slot 22 a pin 23 extends one such pm being carried by each operating rod 19 and extending through and beyond its slot as clearly shown in Figure 3. rlChe pins 23 are threaded and each pin has operatively mounted thereon a clamping nut or button 24 which serves as a means to effect adjustnent or manipulation of the operating rod lndalso coacts with the casing to hold the Jperating rod and consequently the pencil and its lead in adjusted position. 1f crayons are used these nuts or buttons 24 may be suitably marked to designate the character of the crayon as indicated in Figure 2. At this point it will be understood that whereever the term lead is used it is intended to comprehend not only graphite or otherV lead ordinarily used in pencils. but. also crayons or similar writing or marking elements.

With this form' of theinvention any one of the leads 18 may be brought into use by loosening the nut 23 of its operating rod and moving the nut downwardly. This movement of the nut is transmitted to the operating rod through the pin 23 and from the operating rod it. is transmitted to the lead holder and its lead. The lead moves down through the casing until its end comes in contact with the inner wall of the tapered portion 14 which cams or guides the lead toward the opening 15 through which the lead is eventually projected. It is to be understood of course that only one lead is projected at a time, the others being housed in the'upper part of the section 11, as shown 1ny Figure 1 of the drawings. When it is desired to renew or replace the leads, the sections 11 and 12 are taken apart, the threaded connection 13 facilitating this assembly. l-Vhen the section 12 is disassemlbled from the section 11 the operating rods,

lead holders and leads are carried by the Section 12and are exposed so as to be readily accessible for purposes of replacement.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5 is identical in all respects with that shown in Figures l to 4 and above described except that the barrel or casing of the pencil designated at 25 is of single vintegral construction, assembly of the parts and replacement of the' leads being provided for by extending the slots of the barrel corresponding to the slots 22 shown rin Figures 1 and 2 through the upper end thereof, the slots of the barrel 25 bein designated at 26. With this form of the invention when it is desired to replace the leads the cap at the upper end of the casing is removed and buttons are drawn upwardly and out through the upper end of the slots 26 so as to take the buttons, pins, operating bars, lead holders and leads from the casing. With this form of the invention it may be found convenientto employ one orA more guides or partitions 27 having guide openings 28 therethrough to constrain the maa? operating bars to rectilinear movement in the casing.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive the casing is designated at 30 and includes sections 31 and 32 having a threaded connection with each other, as at 33. The section l32 is provided with an opening 34 at the tip end and a tapered portion 35 constituting the guide means for guiding the leads to the opening 34.

Within the section 31 a plurality preferably two, lead holders designated at 36 and 37 are arranged and carry the leads 38 and 39. Each lead holder has a ball and socket connection, designatedy at 39 and 40 with an operating rod provided therefor, the operating rods being designated at 41 and 42, respectively. These operating rods are preferably polygonal 'in cross section and are slidably received in similarly formed openings 43 provided in cup shaped lpartitions or guides 44 secured in spaced intervals in the section 31 whereby the operating rods are constrained to partake ofrectilinear movement. Each operating rod is provided with a tooth adjacent its upper end, this tooth being designated at 45 and 46 respectively. The tooth 45 is operatively received in a spiral groove 47 provided therefor in a rotatable shaft 48 and the tooth 46 is operatively received in a second groove 49 also provided `therefor in the shaft 48, this shaft 48 being thus provided with two spiral grooves, the -grooves 47 and 49 being of opposite pitch so that when the shaft is rotated in one direction it will serve to advance one operating rod and retract the other and vice versa. The shaft 48 has a reduced extension 50 at its lower end operatively mounted in a bearing provided therefor in one of the guide walls 44 and preferably the nut51 is threaded on this reduced extension to prevent endwise displacement of the shaft. The uper end of the shaft 48 is also provided with a reduced extension 52 which is rigidly connected with a cap 53 rotatably mounted on the upper end of the casing 30. Preferably the periphery of the cap has a rim at its upper end which is milled to facilitate turning. As shown in Figure 7 the cap 53 may be provided withl arrows 54 and indicia 55 indicating the direction in which to turn the cap in order to bring to operative position the desiredlead or crayon. v

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 10 to 14 inclusive the casing,I is

vshown at'='6() and includes sections 61 and 62 having a screw threaded connection asv the members of one pair of operating rods being designated at 65 and the members of the other pairs of rods being designated at 66. All of thefoperating rods are of polygonal cross section and are constrained to proper movement by means of 'guides 6T which ipreferably are in the form of cup shaped portions fixed within the casing and having polygonal guide openings through which the rods have a sliding fit. The operating rods 65 and 66 carry lead holders designated at 69 and 70 respectively, the lead holders being identical in construction with those herein before described and. identical with the operating rods precisely as the lead holders in the other embodiments are connected to their operating rods. this arrangement there may be provided four crayons of different colors or proper: ties and for instance there may be provided a. red and blue crayon `to be ca-rried upon the lead holders 69 and green and black crayons to be'carried in the holders 70.

Means is provided for selectively projecting any one of the four crayons through the opening in the tip of the pencil and preferably comprises two shafts designated at 71 and 72, the shafts being arranged in axial alinement in the casing and each having in its periphery a pair of spiral grooves of opposite pitch, the ooves being adapted to coact with teeth ormed on the upper ends of the operating rods as in the other embodiments of the invention. These shafts 71 and 72 are rotatably mounted in bearing provided therefor in the cup shaped partitions 7. Thel shaft`71 is'connected by a sleeve 2 with a rotatable cap 73, the sleeve 72 being rigidly connected with the cap and with the shaft so that when the cap 73 is turned the shaft will also be turned. The shaft 71 is provided with an axial bore which is alined with the bore-of the sleeve 72 and.

through these alined bores a connecting rod 74 extends and is rigidly secured at its lower end to the upper end of the shaft 72 while upon the upper end of the connecting, rod a thumb piece 75 is fastened so that when the thumb piece 75 is turned the shaft 72 will be rotated. The cap 73 and the thumb piece 75 bear suitable arrows and indicia as shown in Figure 12, to indicate the direction in which one or the other must be turned to project the desired crayon.

Iniorder to hold one pair of operating rods, 'lead holders and leads in retracted position when a member of the other pair is to be projected through the opening at the tip ay locking sleeve is rotatably mounted on the casing 60 preferably on the section 61 thereof. This locking sleeve is provided with a longitudinal slot 81 and with an arcuate slot 82 which is formed intermediate its ends and extends partially around the periphery of the sleeve, the slots With '66 and the slot 60b being directly in front` of one of the rods 65, as shown in Figure 4 13. The rods 65 and 66 which are thus confronted'by the slots 60a and 60b are provided with laterally extending pins or lugs, designated at 84 and 85 respectively, the pins extending through the slots of the casing and the slotsl of the sleeve 80, the arrangement beingsuch that when one of the pins is received in the longitudinal slot the other is accommodated in the arcuate slot. The lower end of thesleeve 80 has a milled lcollar 86 removably secured thereon, the slot 81 extending down through the lower end of the sleeve to facilitate assembly. At the up-per end of the sleeve 81 a pointer 87 is provided and coacts with suitable indicia 88 provided on the casing.

With the arrangement thus described and positioned as shown in Figures 10 and 11 either a red'or blue crayon may be projected through the opening of the tip by turning the thumb piece 75 in one or the other direction and at such time the black and green crayons are held retracted, as shown in vFigure 10 by the engagement of the pin 84 carried by one of the operating rods 65 thereof with the wall of the slot 82, as shown in Figure 11. Should it be desired to project a black or green crayon the cap 73 is turned to cause the pin 85 to travel down in the slot 81 until it is alined with the slot 82 and then the sleeve 80 is turned to bring the pin into the slot 82 and the pin 84 into the slot 81 whereupon the thumb piece 75 may be turned to project the black or green crayons, the red and blue being held in retracted position by the engagement of the pin 85 with the wallsof the slot 82.

In Figure 15 there is shown a modified form of lead holder especially adapted for use with small leads. In this view the operating rod is designated at 90 and has mounted thereon a.' ball 91 operatively connected with a socket 92 of a resilient holder 93. The lower end of the holder 93 has connected theretq a small lead holder 94 carrying a small lead .95. Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the small lead holder to the. resilient holder 93. A tubular cover 96 is slidably fitted on the holder 93 and is provided with an opening 97 at itslower end through which the lead 95 projects. The upper end of the cover 96 is slidably fitted' on the holder 93 and is provided with an opening 97 at its lower end through which the lead 95 projects. The lower end of the cover 96 is suitably in Figure l.

tapered, as at 98, so that it may be partially' projected through the opening in the tip of the pencil as for instance at the opening l5 l. In a pencil of the character described, a casing, a plurality of lead holders arranged in said casing, operating rods for the lead holders, ball and socket connections between the lead holders and operating rods, means -for actuating said operating rods including a rotatable shaft having two yspiral grooves of opposite pitch. a tooth carried by each operating rod and operatively received inthe spiral grooves and a rotatable cap carried by the casing and rigidly con nected with the shaft for turning the same.

2. In a pencil of the character described, a casing, a plurality of ,lead holders arranged therein, operating rods for the lead holders, ball and socket connection between the lead holders and the operating rods, means for actuating the operating rods including alined operating shafts having spiral grooves of opposite pitch formed therein, teeth carried by the operating rods Leases? and received in the grooves of the shaft, and means for rotating the shafts including a cap, a sleeve connecting said cap to one of said shafts, the shaft connected with the sleeve having an axial bore alined with the bore of the sleeve, a connecting rod extending through said bores to the other shaft, and a thumb-piece surmounting the cap and fixed to the connecting rod.

3. In a pencil of the character described, a casing, four lead holders arranged in the casing, an operating rod for each lead holder, a. loose connection between each lead holder and its operating rod, means for actuating the operating rod and locking mechanism including a sleeve mounted on the casing having a longitudinal slot and an arcuate slot, the casing having slots adapted to. be selectively registered with the longitudinal slot of the sleeve, and pins carried by certain of the operating rods and projecting through the slots of the casing and sleeve.

FRANK ROBERT NYIWN. JOI-IN ART NYMAN. 

